Mixed drinks are both delicious and intoxicating, which makes them hard to resist. Unfortunately, their sugar and alcohol content pack a whole lot of empty calories. Most mixed drinks contain one or multiple types of liquor and a sugary mixer such as soda, syrup or juice.
Calories
Hard liquors such as vodka and tequila are very high in calories, so the more alcohol a mixed drink contains, the higher the calorie count. One 1.5 oz. shot of 80 proof alcohol, be it gin, whiskey, vodka or rum, is equal to about 100 calories.
High-Calorie Cocktails
Mixed drinks such as the Long Island Iced Tea, which contain several types of alcohol and multiple additives, are especially high in calories -- 780 in the case of an 8 oz. Long Island. A White Russian, which combines vodka, sweet coffee liquor and cream, packs 425 calories for every 5 oz. glass, whereas a 6 oz. piña colada, usually made from rum and a sugary pre-mix, has 380 calories.
Lower-Calorie Alternatives
To reduce the caloric content of your mixed drink, the key is to simplify. Enjoy your favorite liquor on the rocks with diet or club soda, a splash of lime, or a few ounces of 100 percent juice. Simple cocktails with lower-calorie profiles include the Bloody Mary, a combination of vodka, tomato juice and spices offering 120 calories per 5 oz. serving; and a rum and Diet Coke, which has only 100 calories per 8 oz. serving.
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